Signing “Charter of the Asia-Pacific Private University Presidents' Forum”
Guests of honor of the Opening Ceremony and forum participants
The first Asia-Pacific Private University Presidents' Forum was held at Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) on March 28. Rectors of 20 renowned private universities in Japan, Republic of Korea, Thailand, USA, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan attended this forum, together with over 100 guests.
The Asia-Pacific Private University Presidents' Forum was initiated by Fu Jen Catholic University, Keimyung University, Macau University of Science and Technology, Sophia University and Tunghai University. The first Forum was hosted by Macau University of Science and Technology. The Asia-Pacific Private University Presidents' Forum adopts the spirits of “cooperation, experience-sharing, and joint development”. It aims to promote the establishment of regional strategic alliances, enhances cooperation and exchanges, explores construction and development of private universities and establishes a platform for multi-leveled cooperation between the member universities.
The guests of honor at the Opening Ceremony were Mr. Cheong U, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau Special Administrative Region, Mr. Li Benjun, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau S.A.R., Mr. Song Yenbin, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macau SAR, Mr. Zhao Lingshan, Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Affairs Office of Ministry of Education., Mr. Guo Ge, Deputy Director General of Policy Research and Legal System Construction Department of the Ministry of Education and Mr. Sou Chio Fai, Director of the Macau Tertiary Education Services Office. At the opening ceremony, representatives from all member universities signed the “Charter of the Asia-Pacific Private University Presidents' Forum”, reaching a consensus that every member will in turn host the Forum each year.
The theme of this forum was “Orientations and Missions of Private Universities in the Knowledge Economy Era”. Ten rectors from different regions delivered keynote speeches on several topics including “How to shape the university’s position, vision, mission and core values”, “Creating a New Identity through Community Engagement: Educators in the 21st Century”, “Up or Out: Taiwan’s Private University Challenges and Accomplishments”, “Building Bridges for Transnational Education in Asia”, “Self-identity and Core Values: The M.U.S.T. Case” amongst others. Professor Xu Aoao, Chairman of this Forum and Rector of M.U.S.T., said “this Forum plays an important role in strengthening the transnational education cooperation and in speeding up the pace of internationalization of Macau’s higher educational institutions”.
